FIG. 1 depicts a portion of a conventional energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer 10. The conventional EAMR transducer 10 is used in writing to recording media 30. To do so, the conventional EAMR transducer 10 receives light, or energy, from a conventional laser (not shown in FIG. 1). The conventional EAMR transducer 10 includes a conventional waveguide 12, conventional pole 14, and a conventional near-field transducer (NFT) 16, as well as a grating 20. The conventional NFT 16 includes a disk portion 16B and a pin portion 16A. The disk portion 16B is wider in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the page than the pin portion 16A. Although termed a “disk portion”, the portion 16B may have a shape other than a circle. Also shown is a laser spot 22 on the grating 20. Other components that may be part of the conventional EAMR transducer 10 are not shown.
In operation, the light from the spot 22 on the grating 20 is coupled to the conventional waveguide 12. The conventional waveguide 12 guides the light to the conventional NFT 16 near the air-bearing surface (ABS). The conventional NFT 16 focuses the energy from the waveguide 12 to an optical spot 32 on the media 30. A small region of the conventional media 30 is heated by the spot 32. This region becomes more magnetically soft. The conventional EAMR transducer 10 magnetically writes data to the heated region of the recording media by energizing the conventional pole 14.
Although the conventional EAMR transducer 10 may function, there are drawbacks. The dimensions of the conventional NFT 16 are desired to be carefully controlled. For example, the length of the pin portion 16A of the conventional NFT 10 may be desired to be controlled. This may be achieved by controlling the diameter of the disk portion 16B and the distance from the ABS to the disk portion 16B. Such control may be difficult to achieve using conventional manufacturing methods. Thus, fabrication of the conventional transducer 10 may be challenging.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for improving the fabrication of an EAMR transducer